Buried Six Feet Under
by Knightmare Chaotix
Summary: Backstory to Grace Augustine's life. Follow her life through her eyes, a woman with a haunted past. A past life she had left behind for Pandora, her escape. There's more to this scientist than meets the eye. Yeah...it's a pretty dark fic.
1. Pocketful of sunshine

**A/N: **This is my first attempt of a fanfic. Jeebus christ, I am on edge here. I was always iffy about publishing something. Well, I am experimenting and so here is my wacky concoction! Gimme some feedback, I would love to hear what you guys think :D

Seriously, I was so torn as to whether I should publish this or not. If it's a piece of crap, it's ok. **Tell me**. I won't bitch you out...maybe. Haha, cause honestly, I think it's crap too. ;D

Ok I'll stop blabbing. Here is my **disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.** There.

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Chapter 1

The plants were beautiful, broad green leaves with intricate branching veins followed by a long, thick stem. Little blossoming flowers decorated the growth. Grace's eyes widened with wonder as she watched a butterfly sit upon its pistol, picking up her pencil and absentmindedly biting her lip.

_Snatch!_

"Hey! Gabriel give it back!" screamed a young Grace Augustine as she chased after her older brother around the greenhouse. The little girl seemed to be 8 years old at most, fiery red hair a ruffled mess.

"C'mon Gabe. Give it back to her," Luther Augustine scolded.

Gabriel dejectedly gave Grace's sketchbook back. Grace took in a huff of breath as she grabbed it and glared at Gabriel. She quickly scanned through the pages looking at her drawings with criticism.

A pout appeared across her lips as she gazed at the picturesque growth before her, comparing her amateur sketches. She could never capture the perfect detail of any flower to her drawings and it annoyed her to no end.

A hand on her shoulder made her look up, "Hey Gracie. Mom's calling us to eat. Lets go."

Grace stared up into dark hazel eyes that mirrored her own. Her eldest brother, Luther, gave her a half smile and patted her shoulder.

"Gracie what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she sighed. She tossed her sketchbook to the side and started to walk towards the house.

Luther picked it up and looked through it, searching for the meaning of her sullen mood.

"Grace your drawings are really good. Why are you so sad about 'em?" Luther brushed off some dirt that had collected on it.

"Cause they suck! I suck at drawing! It probably doesn't even look anything like a flower…" The 8-year old's cheeks puffed in anger.

"Heck yeah it looks like a flower. It's the best flower I've ever seen."

Grace strengthened her posture, a vague smile appearing.

Luther gave her a sly wink, "Hey, maybe someday you'll be as good as Da Vinci, huh?"

* * *

Grace entered the dining room giving a radiant smile at her mother. As she looked around she saw that her brother Gabriel had arrived before her, his brown sun bleached hair sticking out in all places. He had his elbow propped up on the table, his face cradled boringly in his small hands.

"Sit down sweetie. We're about to say our prayers," a woman with red wavy hair and intelligent gray eyes smiled warmly at her young daughter.

Grace obediently folded her hands, bowed her head, and shut her doe eyes listening to the words of her mother.

"Thank you Lord for the bounty we are about to receive, Amen."

"Amen," the family chorused.

Silence filled the air, the clinking of utensils echoing in the background. Grace stared a hole into her cauliflower.

'_I hate cauliflower.'_

"So Gabriel, how was soccer practice?" A man in his thirties asked, placing his coffee tinted eyes at his son.

"It was alright…"

Grace drowned out her brother's babble, picking at her cauliflower monotonously. She perked up when she heard her other brother, Luther, mention something about Pandora.

"Our geography teacher's giving us a test on the wildlife of Pandora on Friday."

Grace shot her head up, her hazel eyes brightening looking up at her brother with interest.

'_Pandora's where all the pretty flowers are. Mom loves flowers too, which is why we have our own greenhouse, but Earth is getting less and less greener each day. They just mowed down the local park for a new shopping mall, which sucks! There isn't any greenery in a 100 mile radius. It's all cold gray concrete.'_

_

* * *

_

_Grace's red locks blew gently with the wind as her swing went higher with momentum. She drug her feet on the ground, halting the swing as she watched her father, still in his police uniform walking towards her._

_Daniel Augustine smiled at his daughter. He took in her dirt stained dress and pink sun battered cheeks. Her bandaid and scabbed legs contrasted against her delicate appearance. He shook his head and looked endearingly at his daughter, noticing how her eyes turned a jade green in the sunlight. He felt a pull at his heart as he noticed some resemblance of him in her. This is her daughter, his blood…_

'_She's growing up so fast.'_

_Grace raised an eyebrow as she noticed a package behind his back._

"_Hey princess!"_

"_Ew. I'm not a princess," he crinkled her nose._

_He ran a hand through his hair, "Well, I got something for you!'_

_Grace looked at the package curiously, then back at him a questioning look in her bright eyes._

'_It's a new sundress! It's really cute...' He took a pink dress out, showing it off with a goofy grin on his rugged face._

"_Oh," she scratched her head, "um, thanks Dad…I think."_

_Dan glanced at the swing beside her, trying to break the awkward silence, "You mind if I swing with you?"_

"_Actually," Grace hopped off straightening her skirts, "I'm gonna go see Mom. See ya!"_

_As airy and casual as that sounded, it felt heavy in his heart, "Ok?…" Dan let out a defeated sigh as he leaned against the rough support of the swing._

_

* * *

_

_Grace walked up to her mom hands clasped in front of her._

"_Hey mommy! Watcha doin'?"_

_Elizabeth Augustine looked up from where she was sitting. She slowly stood up, popping her back in the process. "Oh just looking at some flowers," she sighed wistfully, "they smell wonderful."_

_Grace picked a random flower, "Oh! Here's one!"_

"_Gracie you shouldn't pick flowers. They would die without dirt to live in."_

_Green hazel orbs widened in horror, "Oops! Mommy- I didn't mean to!"_

_Elizabeth immediately went to her side, "Shh. It's okay. Just put it in your hair. See, it looks pretty."_

_Grace poked at the flora peeking through her auburn waves. She giggled and smiled at her mom with distinct admiration._

"_Sweetie, you should wash up for dinner now."_

_Grace nodded and skipped to the house, joyful for the little trinket she encountered. She came to a slowing stop as she heard hasty muffled talking behind her._

"_I don't get it Liz."_

"_Get what?"_

"_Why does Grace seem like she's avoiding me?"_

_The female voice sighed, "She's not avoiding you. Probably just confused."_

"_How? Why?" The baritone voice went edgy with irritation._

"_Cause you're never home! I know being a police chief is difficult, but she can't help but wonder why her father isn't there for her when she needs him."_

"_But I try to spend time with her-"_

"_Yeah, but you can't win her affections with gifts!"_

_There was an uncomfortable stillness. Grace held her breath trying to inch closer behind the bushes for better hearing access._

"_Look," Elizabeth's warm gray eyes searched his, "she'll warm up to you eventually. Give it time. Just be sure to tell her that you're there for her. No matter what."_

"_Of course."_

_

* * *

_

Her father's voice pulled Grace out of her reverie, "Grace honey, you haven't touched your food. Everything okay?"

She looked down at her plate, eyeing at her cauliflower with disgust.

"Yeah. I just hate cauliflower."

**A/N: **Alrighty then, there's more where that came from! And sorry for bringing religion into this. I have a good enough reason for it though! And that reasoning will come through in the next few chapters or so...if I have any confidence and motivation to continue this. -Wink wink, nudge nudge-


	2. You'll find my footprints in the sand

_**Chapter 2**_

The dimly lit surroundings made Grace feel a little uneasy as she sat on her desk in quiet solitude documenting a plant. The restless events of the day were starting to have its toll on her as she set the plant down once again to rub her aching temples.

It was late, everyone in the lab had left but her. She preferred to work alone, get some down time while cataloging plant samples, perhaps get a head start on writing her book. Multi-tasking comes natural to her, she can't stand not having anything to keep her busy. Productive usage of her time is a must for her.

However, she found herself not being productive at all these past few weeks, maybe months. She can't get rid of these suppressed memories that are bubbling up the surface lately. It was strange, she was suddenly getting flashbacks, sudden recollections here and there. She thought she had learned how to forget, how to just move on with life. Now, it seems like life had punched her in the gut and rear-ended a truck on her.

_'Damn! What the hell is wrong with me?'_

Pandora was supposed to be her escape, her dream. Things were looking up at first on this lush planet. It was like a breath of fresh air, she literally heard angels sing when she stepped out into Pandoran ground her first day. Her avatar was like nothing she could ever dream of! She felt unstoppable in it, ready to take on anything this alien world could throw at her. Oh, and the foliage! It was like a huge garden of Eden! Beautiful, thriving plants as far as the eye can see! Grace had thought she would just swoon right there.

Once she had settled, everyone knew she was in charge, and she liked the power. Head of the AVATAR program, hells yeah! People part like the red sea when she walks by and she thrives in this intimidation. Pandora was her oyster, she was on top of the world.

Then, things went to the crapper. Everything went down, down, down in the blink of an eye. There was a whole bunch of shit going on. The demands for unobtanium were putting everyone on edge. She could sense that things were going to screw up, and she tried to keep her sanity every single day. She refused to show any signs of weakness, she would take this head on.

Ever since things went downhill she felt like she had already crashed and burned. She would get unexpected flashbacks from time to time. It was nothing explicit, just vague memories. But then, it would get clearer and clearer each passing day, like gray clouds departing in the sky after a storm, revealing a picturesque blue. She had never felt so confused.

She let out a colorful mix of profanities as she accidentally bumped her hip into a desk. She attempted to brush off the throbbing at her waist as she walked over to the coffeemaker.

* * *

A young red-headed girl rushed into the entrance of the house, slinging her backpack off her shoulders. She let out a sigh and rubbed an itch on her nose as she walked into the living area.

"Dad! I'm home" She kicked off her shoes ready to fall onto the couch when she stopped herself, noticing the melancholy mood in the room.

"Wha- what's going on?"

Daniel Augustine looked up at his 9-year-old with tired, bleary eyes, "Sweetie sit down," he scooted over patting the space next to him.

Grace sat down hesitantly, her eyes looking at her brothers' faces for answers. Gabriel's usual boyish smile was now a quivering frown. Luther's confident stance now a slumped form, his head looking down at the floor with odd concentration. Grace finally took a once-over of her dad; a strong, determined, admirable man now a picture of a broken heart.

She gulped hard as she found the beige walls a sudden fascination.

_'Dad had told me before that mom was really sick. Which is why she isn't staying home anymore, but is at the hospital.'_

"Grace, I'm sorry…"

_'He told me that the doctors were going to make her feel better, so she can come back home with us.'_

"There was nothing I can do. I'm so sorry…"

_'But even though I'm a 9-year-old kid, it doesn't mean that I'm completely clueless. I could tell that mom was seriously sick. When I saw her in that bright, white room, her hair was gone, she was really tired and really pale. But I didn't want to admit it to myself.'_

"Gracie, mommy passed away."

She blinked and looked back at her dad, searching his face to see if he was lying.

_'I thought my mom was invincible, unstoppable.'_

Her vision was quickly blurred as her eyes filled with tears. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to stop her lip from trembling. She blinked, blinked again trying to stop herself.

She lost it as her dad embraced her, burying her head in his shoulder. Ever since her mom was at the hospital, she tried to be as strong as her brothers, tried to suck it up. All that effort flew out the window as she broke down like a young child should have, in the arms of her father.

"Shh. It's okay. I'm here, I'm here."

* * *

A hand on her shoulder startled Grace. She whipped around to see who it is.

"Grace, you okay?" It was Max Patel, a concerned look shadowed over his spectacled eyes.

"Yeah. I'm okay." Grace answered quickly, but her voice came out in a shaky tremor and she inwardly cursed herself.

"You sure?" Max raised an eyebrow not believing Grace one bit.

Grace moved to rub her nose, but felt an odd moisture on her cheeks.

_'Tears.'_

She hastily wiped them off with her sleeve, maneuvering around Max, fixing to leave.

"Yeah I'm sure. I was just yawning," she cleared her throat.

"But- no you weren't yawning."

"I was yawning Max," she answered sternly shooting daggers at him, "now I'm gonna head back to my quarters. Good night."

"But Grace. You were crying."

Grace stopped in her tracks and turned around. She met Max's eyes with a fiery glare, but her eyes became slightly gentler as she noticed Max's frightened expression.

She sighed throwing her hands up in frustration, "Look Max. I'm tired. Drop it and let me go to bed."

Max nodded, his doubt starting to bother him, "Okay sorry. Good night Grace."

Grace made a noise in the back of her throat in response. One thing was clear in her mind: Lack of sleep was really screwing her over.

* * *

**A/N:** Woooo! I had an awesome night...going clubbing! Haha joking, I just watched the movie, Red. It was totally awesome! Oh Bruce Willis! -swoon-

Ok, so here's where things get depressing. And it gets worse. Poor Grace :(

**Review please**! I long for some feedback :3


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